Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-04-16
a WESTERN CYCLONE,
SPREADING DESTRUCTION AND
DEATH IN ITS PATH.
The Terrible Storm That Visited
Ohio Yesterday-Graphic De-
scription of Its Work.
ESPECIAL TO THE REcoRD-uNIoN.l

ST. CLAIRsvILLE, April 15th.-A storm |
was felt here at 3:45 A. NJ. 1t appeared to be |
travelling from the west, and in a funnel |
shaped mass of clouds, resembling IN ap-
pearance dense black smoke The cone |
was done downward, and could be plainly |
tracked over its course by the destruction it |
left. Houses were demolished, trees /
snapped off like pipe-stems, horses and |
cattle prostrated and carried bodily hun
dreds of yards by the gale. The sky was
darkened with clouds of flying debris. The |
storm and its effects showed all the dis
tinguishing
CHARACTERISTICS OF A WESTERN CYCLONE
1t first struck two new brick houses be-
longing to Colonel Paxton and Judge
Cochran, west of town, and frame house
belonging to man named Coleman. All
three were completely demolished and
furniture and portions of the roof and
walls were scattered along the track of the
cyclone clear to the end of the town,
mile distant A large mansion on the cor
ner of Marietta and Main streets was
CUT OFF CLEAN AT THE SECOND FLOOR,
And the walls and roof scattered in frag-
ments. The First National Bank block and
c. Thrall & Sons dry goods store were al
most swept from their sites, only portion
of the lower walls being left standing The
dwellings and business blocks of J. II.
Patterson, druggist George Jepson, grocer
and James Patterson, dry goods, had their
upper walls and roofs swept off, and the
lower part of the houses were badly dam
aged by falling bricks and timbers. The
National Hotel, Mrs. Evans large brick
residence, and probably forty other houses
were less seriously damaged. No casualties
to persons are reported. the funnel-shaped
cloud having been seen approaching in
time for families to take refuge in their
cellars
Benjamin Barkhursts fine old brick
mansion, south of town, was completely
demolished; likewise the United Presby-
terian Church, large brick ediice. The
loss in st. Clairsville will reach $20O, 900.
The Western Union wires and poles are all
down.
HORSES WERE BLOWN ABOUT LIKE cHAFF,
And vehicles demolished. A scantling
sailed through the air for mile and cut as
clean hole through two walls Of a brick
house as cannon ball would. Shingles
were driven through weatherboarding like
arrows. James T. Anderson, of Bellaire,
had just hitched buggy in the street when
some one shouted warning to him. He
clutched telegraph pole, which snapped
off just above his head.
Hon. l.. Danford was sitting in his law
Office when an entire chimney crashed
through the ceiling and floor, leaving him
unframed. At Barton's Station, four
miles north, new brick house was leveled
to the ground. At Pasco, five miles west
of this city, on the National road, the brick
house of A. Hinkle was demolished and
he was badly hurt. Large tracts of wood
between here and st. CIairsyiile have not
tree uninjured, while most of them are
flat on the ground. The town of Bridge
port, just across the river, escaped, as did
Wheeling, but funeral was in the ceme-
terry on the hill top at the time and car
riages were blown over and carried against
trees, and tombstones were snapped off as
they blew over them.
MARTINS FERRY
On the opposite side of the river, at the
north end of the town, suffered even more
severely than ST. Clairville. Here broad
valley gave direction to the destroying gale,
which licked up forest and farm-houses
and scattered fences in its path down the
hollow widening out as it struck the city,
and
SCATTERING DESTRUCTION EVERYWHERE.
The Elston Glass Works had one brick
building blown down on the hill. The
brick residence of J. H. Drennon was so
badly used up that not one brick was left
on another. L. W. Bailey's fine concrete
residence was also leveled to the ground
Henry Helling's eight houses, barns and
sheds were all destroyed. In the town
proper from IS to 100 honses were more OF
less damaged, and the loss will reach $685.
O0o
Walnut Grove. q fine park, had but q
few of the 300 lofty trees standing. The
City Cemetery adjoining was similarly un-
fortunate. James Reilly's house and sa-
loon were blown down, and Mrs. Reilly
was pulled unconscious from the ruins
and may die. The storm struck the town
at 4P. NJ, without warning, and it is won
derful that more injury was not done. Be-
sides Mrs. Reilly the other casualties re-
ported are James Reilly, her husband
both legs broken; Mrs. Wilhelm, collar,
bone broken; Mark Davis, of Martins
Ferry, probably fatally injured. a Ger
man lady, name unknown, is dangerously
injured.
When the storm struck the river the
water shot up into a perpendicular wal
about twenty feet and then fell back il
frothy, seething foam, and simultaneously
SHOWER OF FENCE BOARDS, SHINGLES
POSTS AND TIMBERs,
With some large sections of houses, fell ii
a sheet on the turbulent water. The rive
for miles is strewn with wreckage. The
Fairyiew school-house, one mile west, wa:
totally wrecked, and Miss White, tn,
sehool-teacher. was badly hurt. Severa
families are rendered homeless
Lafayette Rink was engaged by the city
authorities as a temporary shelter for tn
homeless, and meeting of citizens il
called for tomorrow to devise means o
relief
Every few minutes news comes of add
tional damage in the country, and it is saf'
to saw the aggregate loss will exceed ont
million of dollars.
No Taste in the Tip of the Tongue.
ar. A. of ~,